“Could You Pass the 1885 Admission Test for High School?”

June 16 2008

“Could You Pass the 1885 Admission Test for High School?”

Submitted by Lou Neiger

A friend recently sent me this Internet link, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/quizzes/highschool_test.cfm , called “Could You Pass the 1885 Admission Test for High School?”. It is interesting the difference from 1885 to 1965 to 2008 with social promoting and subjects that have nothing to do with the basics of education. From the time when I entered high school, schools have continued to make test easier for more people to pass and ask for more money with the end product having less knowledge. How many people, let alone 14 year olds entering high school, do you know who could pass the 1885 Admission Test for High School? The following partial entrance examination for prospective high school students in Jersey City, N.J. was reprinted in the Union City, N.J., newspaper, the Hudson Dispatch, and later in the Wall Street Journal, June 9, 1992, Section A, p. 16.

EXAMINATION FOR ADMISSION
Jersey City High School, JUNE, 1885

Algebra

I. Define Algebra, an algebraic expression, a polynomial. Make a literal trinomial.

Algebra: A method of computation in which letters represent numbers and quantities in order to uncover an unknown quantity.

Algebraic expression: An equation consisting of a collection of variables and numbers involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or other kind of calculation.

Polynomial: A sum of two or more algebraic equations.

Literal trinomial: x + y + z

II. Write a homogeneous quadrinomial of the third degree. Express the cube root of 10ax in two ways.

2x³ – 2x² + 3x + 5
cube root of 10ax
ax to the 1/3 power

III. Find the sum and difference of 3x – 4ay + 7cd – 4xy + 16, and 10ay – 3x – 8xy + 7cd – 13.

Sum: 6ay + 14cd – 12xy + 3

ARITHMETIC

I. If a 60 days note of $840 is discounted at a bank at 4 1/2% what are the proceeds?

365-day year, $833.79

II. Find the sum of {square root of} 16.7281 and {square root of} .72 1/4.

4.94

III. The interest of $50 from March 1st to July 1st is $2.50. What is the rate?

15 percent

IV. What is the cost of 19 cwt. 83 lb. of sugar at $98.50 a ton? What is discount? A number?

Using U.S. hundred weight of 100 pounds, $97.66.

What is a discount?

Percentage rate deducted from certain quantity.

A number?

Concept of how many.

V. By selling goods at 12 1/2% profit a man clears $800. What was the cost of the goods, and for what were they sold?

If profit is based on cost, cost is $8,400 and selling price is $7,200. If based on selling price, cost is $5,600 and selling price is $6,400.

VI. A merchant offered some goods for $1170.90 cash, or $1206 payable in 30 days. Which was the better offer for the customer, money being worth 10%?

$1,170.90

GEOGRAPHY

I. What is the axis of the earth? What is the equator?

The real or imaginary line on which the earth rotates or is supposed to rotate.

What is the equator?

Imaginary circle around the earth that is everywhere equally distant from the two poles and divides the earth’s surface into the northern and southern hemispheres;

What is the distance from the equator to either pole in degrees, in miles?

90 degrees, and 6,250 miles

II. Name four principal ranges of mountains in Asia, three in Europe, and three in Africa.

Asia: Himalayas, Urals, Hindu Kush and Khangal;
Europe: Alps, Carpathians and Pyrenees;
Africa: Atlas, Drakensberg and Ethiopian Highlands.

III. Name the capitals of the following countries: Portugal, Greece, Egypt, Persia, Japan, China, Canada, , Cuba.

Portugal: Lisbon, Greece: Athens, Egypt: Cairo, Japan: Tokyo, China: Peking (Beijing), Canada: Ottawa, Cuba: Havana.

IV. Name the states on the west bank of the Mississippi, and the capital of each.

Louisiana (Baton Rouge), Arkansas (Little Rock), Missouri (Jefferson City), Iowa (Des Moines) and Minnesota (St. Paul).

V. Write the state or country of the following: Detroit, Chicago, Portland, Rio Janeiro, Callao, Venice, Bombay, St. Louis, Halifax, Vera Cruz.

Michigan, Illinois, Oregon or Maine, Brazil, Peru, Italy, India, Missouri, Nova Scotia, Mexico.

VI. Name 10 countries of South America, and the capital of each.

Argentina (Buenos Aires), Bolivia (La Paz), Brazil (Brasilia), Chile (Santiago), Colombia (Bogota), Ecuador (Quito), Paraguay (Asuncion), Peru (Lima), Uruguay (Montevideo), Venezuela (Caracas).

VII. In what countries is coffee raised?

Tropical countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Nigeria.

VII. New York is nearly 75 {degrees} west of London. When it is noon at the former, what time is it at the latter?

5 p.m.

GRAMMAR

I. Analyse the following: Perseus ground his teeth with rage, for he saw that he had fallen into a trap.

II. Make a list of all the verbs in the sentence above, and give the principal parts of each of them.

Ground: grind, ground, ground; saw: see, saw, seen; had fallen: fall, fell, fallen.

III. Parse for, had fallen, that, saw

For: preposition introducing the prepositional clause “for he saw,” which is used to explain Perseus’ rage.

Had fallen: past perfect tense of the verb fall; this tense is used to indicate that the action of falling took place at a time before the action of seeing.

Saw: simple past tense of the verb “to see,” used here to indicate a) what caused Perseus’ rage, and b) the sequence of events in the sentence.

IV. Give two uses of the hyphen.

To join two words used as a compound noun; to indicate division at the end of a line of type.

Copy the sentence below, and punctuate it properly. “Will you please to tell me boys, for what the reindeer is useful”?

Will you please to tell me, boys, for what the reindeer is useful?

V. Write a sentence containing a noun used as an attribute, a verb in the perfect tense potential mood, and a proper adjective.

VI. Correct

{a} It is only me.

It is only I. Predicate nominative.

{b} Who did she invite?

Whom did she invite? Object of verb invite.

VII. Write the declension of

{a} bird,

bird, birds

{b} man,

man, men

VIII. Write four lines of poetry, giving particular attention to the use of capitals, and to punctuation.

Had we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime;
We would sit down and think which way
To walk and spend our long love’s day.

IX. Make three sentences, using the plural of sheep

{1} in the nominative case,

The sheep are in the meadow.

{2} in the possessive,

The sheep’s wool was carded.

{3} in the objective.

We sheared all the sheep.

U.S. HISTORY

I. What people settled Massachusetts?

The English Puritans

Where did they land, and what was their character?

They landed at Plymouth Rock, Boston, Mass.; and Providence, R.I.

They were strongly religious and believed in predestination, divine omnipotence, and the need to create a holy community that could serve as a model for other people.

II. Name four Spanish explorers and state what induced them to come to America.

Ponce De Leon, Balboa, Coronado, Cortez;
To conquer and Christianize the inhabitants.

III. What event do you connect with 1565, 1607, 1620, 1664, 1775?

1565 — Pedro Menendez founded St. Augustine, Fla.
1607 — Jamestown settled.
1620 — 103 Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
1664 — British seized New Netherland from Dutch.
1775 — Battles of Lexington and Concord.

IV. Name the thirteen colonies that declared their independence in 1776.

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.

V. Name three events of 1777. Which was the most important and why?

Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Brandywine; Saratoga was the most important, since British Gen. Burgoyne was stopped in his push southward.

VI. What caused the war of 1812?

Disputes over British interference with American shipping and impressments of American sailors; concern that the British were instigating Indian uprisings; and American land hunger.

Who was president during that war?

James Madison

What was the result of it?

The United States acquired Indian lands in the Southeast and Old Northwest; Spain subsequently agreed to recognize a U.S. boundary extending to the Pacific Ocean; the Federalists were stigmatized as traitors.

VII. What form of government was established in 1789?

A federal system of government

Into what three branches was the government divided?

Executive, legislative, and judicial branches

What do the Senate and House of Representatives constitute?

The legislative branch

VIII. What caused the Mexican war?

Disputes between Mexico and the United States over the Texas border and Mexico’s refusal to sell California and New Mexico to the United States.

What was the result?

The United States acquired California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and parts of Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming, and established the Texas-Mexico boundary at the Rio Grande River.

How many people do you know who could pass this test now? How many 14 year olds who are entering high school would pass this test? Give this to some of your friends and let them try. For the full test go to the above mentioned Internet link. We need to support our local public schools and encourage the promotion of excellence in education. South Carolina still has twenty to nearly fifty percent of our young adults dropping out of our public schools state wide from eighth grade on. Ask our state and school administrators to go back and teach the basics.

Till next time.

Louis Neiger